1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for filling flexible containers with viscous materials such as construction sealant or adhesives; a system for conveying cylindrical members as flexible containers; and a system for filling them with a viscous material; a method for filling flexible containers with a viscous material; and equipment for filling them with a viscous material; and a container filled with a viscous material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Widely used containers filled with construction sealant, such as the filled container 100 illustrated in FIG. 23, comprise a hard cylindrical container main body 103 with an open proximal end, a discharge hole 102 for discharging the sealant 101 formed at the distal end, and a plunger 104 fitted into the proximal opening. In such a filled container 100, the sealing lid member 105 for sealing the discharge hole 102 is opened, the virgin film 106 is then cut, a nozzle not shown in the figure is then mounted on the discharge hole 102, the container is then mounted in a special discharge gun, and the lever of the discharge gun is operated to move the plunger 104 gradually toward the inside distal end of the container main body 103, thereby allowing the sealant 101 to be extruded and discharged.
Means widely used as a method for filling this type of container main body 103 with the sealant 101 comprise vertically holding the container main body 103, usually with the proximal end on top, filling the container in this state with a fixed amount of sealant 101 in such a way as to prevent air bubbles from being mixed in through the proximal end opening, then forcibly evacuating the air between the plunger 104 and sealant 101 out through the sliding component between the container main body 103 and plunger 104 as the plunger 104 is inserted into the container main body 103 and against the sealant 101 in such a way that no air is left over.
Filled containers 100 with this type of structure are widely used at present because the air between the plunger 104 and sealant 101 can be almost completely evacuated, and the air-tightness between the plunger 104 and the container main body 103 can be satisfactorily preserved, but since the container main body 103 is hard, the filled container 100 cannot be squeezed to a smaller size after use, and is thus limited in terms of volume reduction, resulting in the problem of bulky waste.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application (Kokai) 7-171461 proposed a flexible container in which the intermediate drum portion of the container main body was made of a flexible film, and a relatively hard upper molded part and bottom molded part were integrally formed with the distal and proximal ends of the container main body. This flexible container is mounted on the outer tube of a discharge gun, and the bottom molded part is moved toward the upper molded part side, so that the sealant is extruded and discharged from the discharge hole formed in the upper molded part as the intermediate drum component is squeezed, thereby allowing the flexible container to be squeezed into a smaller size after use to reduce the volume of waste.
The method described for filling the container with the sealant in this publication was a filling method in which the sealant was charged into the container main body through the opening of the bottom molded part formed in the shape of a ring, and the opening was then closed off in an air-tight manner after the material had been charged therein.
With hard cylindrical container main body 103 such as the aforementioned filled container 100, the container main body can be positioned perpendicular to the direction of conveyance on a conveyor to be transported from the molding equipment to the filling equipment, but flexible container main bodies such as that described in the aforementioned publication, in which the intermediate drum portion is made of a flexible film, are sometimes deformed while conveyed when transported by a similar conveying means, and there is thus a need for a conveying system capable of efficiently conveying such container main bodies.
Although the sealant is discharged from the flexible container described in the above publication as the container main body is squeezed, allowing the volume of the container to thus be reduced after use, the following problems nevertheless occur.
That is, it is possible to fit the lid member and bottom molded part together and fix them in an air-tight manner by means of an annular lock fitting component, for example, to improve the air-tightness between the bottom molded part and the lid member, but when such a structure is used, the position in which the lid member is fixed to the bottom molded part is fixed, so that when the amount of sealant charged into the container main body is not precisely established, there are problems in that air remains in the flexible container, causing the sealant to harden or to cure in the flexible container when a small amount of sealant has been charged in, whereas the sealant leaks out when the container is capped with the lid member when larger amounts of material have been charged in. Even if the container is filled with more precise amounts, when the lid member is fitted in an air-tight manner to the container main body, the air must be completely evacuated from between the container main body and the lid member, but it is difficult to thus fit the lid member in such a way as to leave no air.
The inventors took note of the fact that, when container main bodies were filled with larger amounts of sealant, virtually all the air was evacuated from between the container main body and the lid member even though excess sealant leaked out, and they discovered that virtually all of the air can be evacuated from between the container main body and the lid member when the lid member is fitted by pressing the container main body midway in the longitudinal direction while it is filled with sealant so as to cause the surface of the sealant to bulge in the container main body and thereby increase the apparent amount of sealant charged therein.
The filling system comprises container conveying means for conveying a container main body of which at least the drum body is made of a flexible film, charging means for charging a viscous material into the container main body, pressing means for pressing the drum body of the container main body to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and capping means for capping the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body with a lid member.
In this filling system, a viscous material is charged by the charging means into the container main bodies conveyed by the container conveying means, the drum body of the container main body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body is capped with a lid member by the capping means.
More specifically, when the viscous material is charged by the charging means into the container main body, the surface of the viscous material forms a peak with the center swelling up. Thus, when the drum body of the container main body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscous material in this state to bulge, the surface of the viscous material bulges while generally retaining a peaked shape when the viscous material has been charged in. In other words, the drum body is pressed to increase the apparent amount of the viscous material charged into the container main body. Since the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body is capped with the lid member while the surface of the viscous material is thus bulging outward, the lid member first fits closely to the apex of the surface of the viscous material, the tight fit between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member spreads outward as the apex of the surface of the viscous material is then flattened out, and the lid member is then fitted to the opening as the drum body of the container main body returns to its original shape, resulting in the elimination of any gap between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member, so that virtually all the air in the container main body is evacuated, and the opening is capped in an air-tight manner.
The filling system is a filling system wherein the container conveying means comprises a carrying box for holding and conveying a plurality of container main bodies, the interior of the carrying box being divided, by means of dividing plates arranged in the form of a lattice, into a plurality of housing components with open fronts, allowing the container main bodies to be placed in and removed from the housing components. In this filling system, the container main bodies are conveyed while temporarily accommodated in the carrying box, thus effectively preventing the container main bodies from being damaged as they are being conveyed. As such, it becomes possible to ensure that deformation or the like is prevented during transport, even when the container main bodies have a drum body made of a flexible film.
The filling system in claim 3 is a filling system according to claim 2, wherein the carrying box that is used is such that a notch having a notch width which narrows in the depthwise direction is formed in the region including generally the center in at least the widthwise direction of the end on the open side of the dividing plates forming the housing components. With the use of a carrying box having such a structure, when a container main body is placed in a housing component of the carrying box, the end of the container main body on the side where it is inserted is guided by the notch, even when the axis of the container main body is somewhat off center relative to the axis of the housing component, so that the container main body is smoothly accommodated by the housing component. As a result, the end of the container main body is caught by the end of the housing component on the open side of the dividing sheet, preventing the inconvenience of ruptured container main bodies.
The filling system is a filling system wherein housing components are formed by a plurality of the dividing plates at rows and columns in the carrying box. As the carrying box constructed in this structure is moved 1 row or 1 column at a time, container main bodies can be placed in a plurality of housing components in each row or column of the carrying box, or container main bodies which have been placed in a plurality of housing components in each row or column of the carrying box can be simultaneously taken out, thereby allowing the container main bodies to be placed in and taken out of the carrying box.
The filling system is a filling system wherein the drum body of the container main body is temporarily pressed and then released by the capping means, and the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body as the drum body returns to its original shape after being released. With this type of structure, the drum body of the container main body is allowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunction with the action of the lid member being fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body, the lid member is fitted to the opening without leaving any air, and the container main body is capped in an air-tight manner.
The filling system is a filling system wherein, in order to allow the viscous material to be charged into the container main body by the charging means, a viscous material feed tube is first inserted into the interior of the container main body, and the viscous material is discharged from the viscous material feed tube to charge the viscous material into the container main body as the viscous material feed tube is moved in a direction away from the container main body. In this case, the viscous material can be charged synchronously with the relative movement between the container main body and the viscous material feed tube, effectively preventing air from being mixed into the viscous material or air from being left over between the container main body and the viscous material.
The system for conveying cylindrical members comprises a carrying box, the interior of which is divided, by means of dividing plates arranged in the form of a lattice, into a plurality of housing components with open fronts, allowing the cylindrical members to be placed in and removed from the housing components as the container main bodies; packing equipment for packing the cylindrical members into the housing components of the carrying box; and conveying means for conveying the carrying box.
In this conveying system, the cylindrical members serving as the container main bodies are conveyed while temporarily accommodated in the carrying box, allowing the cylindrical members to be effectively prevented from being damaged during transport. As such, they can be reliably prevented from deforming or the like during transport, even when the cylindrical members have drum bodies made of flexible film.
The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the carrying box that is used is such that a notch having a notch width which narrows in the depthwise direction is formed in the region including generally the center in at least the widthwise direction of the end on the open side of the dividing plates forming the housing components. With the use of a carrying box having such a structure, when a cylindrical member is placed in a housing component of the carrying box, the end of the cylindrical member on the side where it is inserted is guided by the notch, even when the axis of the cylindrical member is somewhat off center relative to the axis of the housing component, so that the cylindrical member is smoothly accommodated by the housing component. As a result, the end of the cylindrical member is caught by the end of the housing component on the open side of the dividing sheet, preventing the inconvenience of ruptured cylindrical members.
The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the housing components are formed by a plurality of the dividing plates at rows and columns in the carrying box, and the cylindrical members are packed into the plurality of housing components in each of the rows or columns of the carrying box as the carrying box is moved one row or column at a time. This structure allows cylindrical members to be efficiently packed in the housing components of the carrying box.
The conveying system is a conveying system further comprising transfer equipment for taking the cylindrical members out of the carrying box and transferring them. Such transfer equipment can be provided to automate the conveyance and transfer of the cylindrical members.
The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the transfer equipment further comprises an expanding head capable of expanding wider than the inside diameter of the cylindrical member and of holding the cylindrical member from the inside. Such a structure allows the cylindrical members to be held from the inside by the expanding head and transferred to the next step, thereby minimizing positional displacement of the cylindrical members during transfer.
The conveying system is a conveying system wherein the cylindrical members are taken out of the housing components by the transfer equipment and are transferred while vertically oriented. Providing such transfer equipment allows the orientation of the cylindrical members to be switched to a more readily manipulated orientation, thereby allowing various operations such as filling containers with the viscous material or processing to be carried out more efficiently. Specifically, a viscous material can be charged into container main bodies in the form of cylindrical members, and the container main bodies can be efficiently supplied to the filling equipment for capping.
The viscous material filling system is a viscous material filling system in which the cylindrical member that is used comprises using a container main body with at least the drum component consisting of a flexible film and the open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component, and the container main body is filled with a viscous material and is capped with a lid member, wherein this viscous material filling system comprises: a conveying system for placing the container main bodies in the carrying box to convey them; and filling equipment for charging the viscous material into the container main bodies while the container main bodies being conveyed by the conveying system are supported vertically with the reinforcing component on the top, and for capping the reinforcing component of the container main body with a lid member.
In this filling system, the drum bodies of the container main bodies of the cylindrical members are made of a flexible film, but since the container main bodies are conveyed in the carrying box, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as deformation of, or damage to, the drum bodies of the container main bodies during transport.
It is also possible to automate the transport of the container main bodies and the series of operations for charging the viscous material into the container main bodies and capping the container main bodies with lid members, and it is also possible to more efficiently fill the containers with the viscous material.
The viscous material filling system is one in which the cylindrical member that is used comprises using a container main body with at least the drum component body consisting of a flexible film and the open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component, and the container main body is filled with a viscous material and is capped with a lid member, wherein the viscous material filling system comprises: a conveying system for conveying the container main bodies in the carrying box, the container main bodies being taken out of the carrying box by the transfer equipment and transferred while vertically oriented with the reinforcing component on top; and filling equipment comprising charging equipment and capping equipment for charging a viscous material into container main bodies transferred by the transfer equipment of the conveying system and for capping the reinforcing component with a lid member.
This filling system allows the drum body of the container main body to be prevented from being damaged or deformed, and also enables automation of the transport of the container main bodies and the series of operations for charging the viscous material into the container main body and capping the container main bodies with lid members. In addition, the container main bodies conveyed by the carrying box are transferred to the filling equipment while vertically oriented by the transfer equipment in this conveying system, so that the viscous material can be charged by the filling equipment into the container main bodies in the vertical orientation in which they are transferred, and the container main body can be capped with lid members, resulting in the smoother transfer of the container main bodies. The container main bodies can be transferred while held at the reinforcement component by the transfer equipment, making it possible to prevent inconveniences such as deformation of, or damage to, the drum body of the container main body during transport.
The filling system is a filling system having filling equipment further comprising transport means with support means for holding the reinforcement component of the container main body from the outside by means of a clamper to support the container main body, the support means being provided around the outside of a rotating table, and the container main bodies being sequentially transported by the transport means in the filling equipment, filled with viscous material, and capped with lid members.
In this filling system, the container main bodies which have been changed by the transfer equipment to a vertical orientation are held from the outside at the rigid reinforcing component by means of the clamper of the filling equipment and thus transferred, allowing the container main bodies to be securely held. The container main bodies are sequentially moved along with a rotating table while the container main bodies are held by the clamper to allow the viscous material to be charged therein and to allow the containers to be capped with lid members by means of the charging equipment and capping equipment, thereby allowing the charging and capping operations to be carried out more efficiently and automatically.
The filling system is a filling system wherein the capping equipment furthermore comprises pressing means for pressing the drum body of the container main body filled with the viscous material to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge.
In this filling system, the drum body of the container main body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, allowing the container main body to be capped with a lid member while the apparent amount of the viscous material charged therein has been increased, and also allowing the lid member to be fitted to the reinforcing component while virtually all the air in the container main body has been evacuated.
More specifically, the high viscosity of the viscous material charged into the container main body results in a surface in the form of a peak with the center swelling up. Thus, when the drum body of the container main body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscous material in this state to bulge, the surface of the viscous material bulges while generally retaining a peaked shape during charging. In other words, the drum body is pressed to increase the apparent amount of the viscous material charged into the container main body.
When a lid member is fitted to the reinforcing component of the container main body while the surface of the viscous material is thus bulging outward, the lid member first fits closely to the apex of the surface of the viscous material, the tight fit between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member spreads outward as the apex of the surface of the viscous material is then flattened out, and the lid member is then fitted to the reinforcing component as the drum body of the container main body returns to its original shape, resulting in the elimination of any gap between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member, so that virtually all the air in the container main body is evacuated, and the reinforcing component is capped in an air-tight manner.
The filling system is a filling system 16, wherein the drum body is pressed by the pressing means in the capping equipment to cause the surface of the viscous material to temporarily bulge, the pressure on the drum body is then released, and the lid member is fitted to cap the reinforcing component of the container main body as the drum body returns to its original shape. With this type of structure, the drum body of the container main body is allowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunction with the action of the lid member being fitted to the reinforcing component, and the viscous material is sealed inside the container main body with no air remaining.
The filling system is a filling system wherein the charging equipment further comprises a viscous material feed tube having a length insertable to at least the interior of the container main body, and lifting means for lifting the viscous material feed tube relative to the container main body, wherein the viscous material feed tube is inserted by the lifting means into the interior of the container main body, and the viscous material is charged into the container main body as the viscous material feed tube is pulled out of the container main body. In this case, the charging of the viscous material into the container main bodies is synchronized so as to more effectively prevent air from being mixed into the viscous material or air from being left between the container main body and the viscous material.
The method for filling flexible containers with a viscous material comprises the steps of: charging a viscous material into a container main body, the container main body comprising at least a drum body consisting of a flexible film and an open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component, the container main body also being held vertically, with the opening on top; then pressing the drum body of the container main body to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge; and then fitting the lid member to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body, and fixing the lid member in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component.
In this filling method, the viscous material charged into the container main body results in a surface in the form of a peak with the center swelling up when the viscous material has been charged into the container main body. When the drum body of the container main body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, the surface of the viscous material bulges while generally retaining a peaked shape during charging. In other words, the drum body is pressed to increase the apparent amount of the viscous material charged into the container main body.
Thus, when the lid member is fitted to the reinforcing component of the container main body while the surface of the viscous material is thus bulging, the lid member first fits closely to the apex of the surface of the viscous material, the tight fit between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member spreads outward as the apex of the surface of the viscous material is then flattened out, and the lid member is then fitted to the reinforcing component as the drum body of the container main body returns to its original shape, resulting in the elimination of any gap between the surface of the viscous material and the lid member, so that virtually all the air in the container main body is evacuated, and the reinforcing component is capped in an air-tight manner.
The filling method is a filling method wherein the drum body of the container main body is temporarily pressed and then released, and the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body as the drum body returns to its original shape after being released. With this structure, the drum body of the container main body is allowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunction with the action of the lid member being fitted to the reinforcing component, and the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component without any air being left over, and is secured in an air-tight manner to the container main body.
The filling method is a filling method wherein, to charge the viscous material into the container main body, a viscous material feed tube is first inserted into the interior of the container main body, and the viscous material is discharged from the viscous material feed tube to charge the viscous material into the container main body as the viscous material feed tube is moved in a direction away from the container main body. In this case, the charging of the viscous material into the container main bodies is synchronized so as to more effectively prevent air from being mixed into the viscous material or air from being left between the container main body and the viscous material.
The filling method is a filling method wherein the lid member is fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body, and the lid member and reinforcing component are fixed in an air-tight manner by means of at least one of fusion (melting), a sealing agent, a gasket, or sealing tape. This structure allows an air-tight seal to be created between the lid member and the reinforcing component, and prevents external air from penetrating into the slight gap between the two so as to prevent hardening, curing and deterioration in the quality of the viscous material. For example, when the container is filled with a sealant consisting of a moisture-curing composition as the viscous material, the above structure can ensure that no moist air penetrates into the interior of the container main body, thereby preventing the viscous material from being hardened or cured by moist air. Specifically, the lid member can be secured in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component by securing the lid member to the reinforcing component and then fusing (melting) the lid member and reinforcing component together, either directly or using a separate member, by means of heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high frequency induction sealing or the like, or by inserting a sealing agent or gasket in the fitting components between the lid member and reinforcing component, or by fitting and securing the lid member to the reinforcing component and then applying sealing tape between the container main body and lid member, or by combining such methods.
The viscous material filling equipment comprises: support means whereby a container main body with at least a drum body consisting of a flexible film and an open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component is vertically held at the reinforcing component, with the opening on top; charging means for charging the viscous material into a vertically held container main body; pressing means for pressing the drum body of a container main body filled with a viscous material to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge; lid member supply means for supplying a lid member over the container main body in which the surface of the viscous material is bulging; and capping means for fitting the lid member to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body and fixing the lid member in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component.
In this filling equipment, a rigid reinforcing component is held by means of the support means to vertically support the container main body, allowing the container main body to be held in a reliable manner. The drum body is pressed by the pressing means to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge, and the lid member can be fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body in that state, thereby effectively preventing air from being left over in the container main body, and also allowing the lid member to be secured in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component of the container main body to seal the viscous material inside the container main body while preventing the viscous material from leaking out of the container main body.
The viscous material filling equipment is filling equipment wherein the drum body is temporarily pressed by the pressing means and then released, and the container main body is capped with the lid member by the capping means as the drum body returns to its original shape. With this type of structure, the drum body of the container main body is allowed to naturally return to its original shape in conjunction with the action of the lid member being fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component, and the lid member is secured in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component of the container main body without leaving any air, so as to seal the viscous material inside the container main body.
The viscous material filling equipment is filling equipment wherein the charging means further comprises a viscous material feed tube having a length insertable into at least the interior of the container main body, and lifting means for lifting the viscous material feed tube relative to the container main body, wherein the viscous material feed tube is inserted by the lifting means into the interior of the container main body, and the viscous material is charged into the container main body as the viscous material feed tube is pulled out of the container main body. In this case, air is effectively prevented from being mixed into the viscous material or air is effectively prevented from being left over between the container main body and the viscous material when the viscous material is charged into the container main body.
The container filled with a viscous material comprises: a container main body with at least the drum component consisting of a flexible film, and the open end consisting of a rigid reinforcing component; a lid member fixed in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component of the container main body; and a viscous material charged into the container main body; wherein the drum body of the container main body is pressed to cause the surface of the viscous material to bulge after the viscous material has been charged into the container main body, the lid member is then fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body, and the lid member is fixed in an air-tight manner to the reinforcement component as the drum component returns to its original shape, allowing the viscous material to thus be charged into the container main body without any air being left over.
In this filled container, the drum body of the container main body is made of a flexible film, allowing the viscous material to be extruded or discharged from the container main body as the drum body is squeezed, and also allows the container to be squeezed into a smaller size after use, thereby reducing waste volume.
Since, furthermore, the lid member is secured to the reinforcing component which is integrated with the container main body, without any change in the positional relationship between the lid member and reinforcing component, it is possible to ensure an air-tight seal between the two. The lid member is also fitted to the opening of the reinforcing component of the container main body while the drum body of the container main body is pressed to cause the viscous material to bulge, thereby effectively preventing air from being left over in the container main body, and allowing the lid member to be secured in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component to seal the viscous material inside the container main body while preventing the viscous material from leaking out of the container main body.
In the filled container the lid member is fixed in an air-tight manner to the reinforcement component by means of at least one of fusion (melting), a sealing agent, a gasket, or sealing tape. This structure allows an air-tight seal to be created between the lid member and reinforcing component in order to prevent external air from penetrating into the container main body, thereby effectively preventing hardening, curing and deterioration in the quality of the viscous material. Specifically, the lid member can be secured in an air-tight manner to the reinforcing component by fitting and securing the lid member to the reinforcing component and then fusing (melting) the lid member and reinforcing component together, either directly or using a separate member, by means of heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high frequency induction sealing or the like, or by inserting a sealing agent or gasket in the fitting component between the lid member and reinforcing component, or by fitting and securing the lid member to the reinforcing component and then applying sealing tape between the container main body and lid member, or by combining such methods.